ITM Exam 2 (Chapter 5)

Virtualized Computing

Creates multiple "virtual" machines on a single computing device. Essentially a form of consolidation that can benefit sustainable MIS infrastructures. Ex: Macs have the ability to run both the Apple and Windows PC operating system with the use of virtualization software. Data Center- A facility used to house management information systems and associated components.

Scalablity

Describes how well a system can scale up, or adapt to the increased demands of growth. Performance- Measures how quickly a system performs a process or transaction. Capacity- Represents the maximum throughput a system can deliver. Capacity planning- Determines future environmental infrastructure requirements to ensure high-quality system performance.

Reliability (Accuracy)

Ensures a system is functioning correctly and providing accurate information. Vulnerability- A system weakness that can be exploited by a threat.

Maintainability

How quickly a system can transform to support environmental changes. Helps to measure how quickly and effectively a system can be changed or repaired after a failure.

Supporting Change (Agile)

Includes the hardware, software, and telecommunications entrapment that provides the underlying foundation to support the organization's goals. Key characteristics: Accessibility, availability, maintainability, portability, reliability, scalability, usability

Moore's Law

Refers to the computer chip performance per dollar doubles every 18 months. Corporate social responsibility- Companies' acknowledged responsibility to society. Effects MIS in environment by predicting obsolete devices and technology adding to negative environmental side-effects

Supporting the Environment (Sustainable)

Sustainable MIS- Describes the production, management, use, and disposal or technology in a way that minimizes damage to the environment. Components: Grid computing, cloud computing, virtualized computing.

Technology recovery strategy terms

Technology failure- Occurs when the ability of a company to operate is impaired. Incidents- unplanned interruption of a service. Incident record- contains all of the details of an incident. Incident management- The process responsible for managing how incidents are identified and corrected.

Portability

The ability of an application to operate on different devices or software platforms, such as different operating systems.

Usability

The degree to which a system is easy to learn and efficient and satisfying to use. Serviceability- How quickly a third party can change a system to ensure it meets user needs and the terms of any contracts.

Availability

The time frames when the system is operational. High availability- When a system is continuously operational at all times

Cloud Computing video

3 layers of cloud computing: Application, platform, infrastructure Benefits: Instant, can turn on and off anytime. Scalability- Easy to grow and shrink to match your demands Save money, only pay for what you use, no equipment that sits around. Can access cloud through regular computer, never actually touch the cloud physically

Grid computing

A collection of computers, often geographically dispersed, that are coordinated to solve a problem. Smart grid- delivers electricity using two-way digital technology. More efficient and reliable by adding the ability to remotely monitor, analyze, and control the transmission of power.

Disaster Recovery Plan

A detailed process for recovering information or an IT system in the event of a catastrophic disaster such as a fire or flood. Hot site- A separate and fully equipped facility where the company can move immediately after a disaster and resume business. Cold site- A separate facility that does not have any computer equipment but is a place where employees can move after a disaster. Warm site- A separate facility with computer equipment that requires installation and configuration.

Cloud Computing

A model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. Multi-tenancy- In the cloud means that a single instance of a system serves multiple customers. Single-tenancy- Is the software that makes possible the benefits of cloud computing. Cloud fabric controller- An individual who monitors and provisions cloud resources, similar to a server admin. Utility computing- Offers a pay-per-use revenue model similar to a metered service.

Business Continuity Plan

A plan for how an organization will recover and restore partially or completely interrupted critical functions within a predetermined time after a disaster or extended disruption. Emergency- A sudden unexpected event requiring immediate action. Emergency preparedness- Ensures a company is ready to respond to an emergency in an organized, timely, and effective manner. Business impact analysis- Identifies all critical business functions and the effect that a specific disaster may have upon them. Emergency notification services- Infrastructure built for notifying people in the event of an emergency. Technology recovery strategies- focus specifically on prioritizing the order for restoring hardware, software, and data across the organization that bet meets business recovery requirements.

Backup and Recovery Plan

Backup- An exact copy of a system's information. Recovery- The ability to get a system up and running in the event of a system crash or failure. Fault tolerance- The ability for a system to respond to unexpected failures or system crashes as the backup system immediately and automatically takes over with no loss of service. Failover- A specific type of fault tolerance, occurs when a redundant storage server offers an exact replica of the real-time data, and if the primary server crashes, the users are automatically directed to the secondary server. Failback- Occurs when the primary machine recovers and resumes operations, taking over from the secondary server.

Three primary side effects of Businesses' expanded use of technology

Increased electronic waste, increased energy consumption, increased carbon emissions

3 Primary effects of business' expanded use of technology

Increased electronic waste- Refers to discarded, obsolete, or broken electronic devices. Increased energy consumption- The amount of energy consumed by business processes and systems. Increased carbon emissions

Business benefits of a solid MIS infrastructure

Key components of the infrastructure: 1. Hardware- consists of the physical devices associated with a computer system. 2. Software- The set of instructions the hardware executes to carry out specific tasks. 3. Network- A communications system created by linking two or more devices and establishing a standard methodology in which they can communicate. As companies need to share more information, the network takes on greater importance in the infrastructure. 4. Client- A computer designed to request information from a server. 5. Server- A computer dedicated to providing information in response to requests. MIS infrastructure shows in detail how the hardware, software, and network connectivity support the firm's processes. Continually changes as the business needs change. Enterprise architect- A person grounded in technology, fluent in business, and able to provide the important bridge between MIS and the business.

Supporting Operations (Information)

Provides 3 primary elements: Backup and recovery plan, disaster plan, business continuity plan

Accessibility

Refers to the varying levels that define what a user can access, view, or perform when operating a system. Administrator access- Unrestricted access to the entire system. Web accessibility- People with disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive can all use the web. Web accessibility initiative- Brings together people from industry, disability organizations, government, and research labs to develop guidelines and resources to help make the web accessible to all.

3 areas of focus where enterprise architects focus when maintaining a firm's MIS infrastructure

Supporting operations (Information)-Identifies where and how important information, such as customer records, is maintained and secured. Supporting Change (Agile)- Includes the hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment that, when combined, provides the underlying foundation to support the organization's goals. Supporting Environment (Sustainable)- Identifies ways that a company can grow in terms of computing resources while simultaneously becoming less dependent on hardware and energy consumption.